Englishman Ian Poulter, off to a hot start with two top-10 finishes in his first four PGA Tour events this season, is in San Antonio this week despite battling a nagging chest infection. The 2012 European Ryder Cup hero said he decided to play the Valero Texas Open several weeks ago.

“It gives me focus on tournament play right up until Monday, and it might be something that helps,” Poulter, who has won two World Golf Championships, said Wednesday of preparing for the Masters next week. “But it definitely, with only playing four events up until now, is not going to do me any harm playing.”

Young gun: Jordan Spieth, who turned professional in December after only 18 months at UT, has seen that decision validated with two top-10 finishes in five events this year.

“When I turned, there were some voices, especially because I didn't have status anywhere,” he said. “But I just kind of threw them out. I didn't listen to it. I didn't believe (that). I never looked back.”

The Dallas native, 19, continues that pro career Thursday in impressive company. Spieth tees off with world No. 2-ranked Rory McIlroy and ninth-ranked Matt Kuchar at 7:50 a.m.

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“Yeah, I'm surprised I wasn't paired with some better players,” Spieth said, laughing. He added that “being able to match my game in the same group with two of the best players in the world, it's a great opportunity for me.”

Weather report: Waves of heavy rain, including some storms, bedeviled the annual Oak Farms Dairy Pro-Am at AT&T Oaks on Wednesday. The morning sessions were chased off the course just after 11, while the delayed afternoon tee times had barely broken out their clubs when another line of inclement weather rolled through.

The chilly competition was trimmed, as a result, to only nine holes for both sets of competitors. The forecast for the Texas Open itself, Thursday through Sunday, includes sunshine and warming temperatures.

Record books: Texas-ex Justin Leonard joins Arnold Palmer as the only three-time champions of the Texas Open. Leonard, who last won in 2007 at La Cantera, is in the field again to attempt to win a record fourth.